BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — University of Tennessee senior Kamera Harris has been named to the SEC Women’s Basketball Community Service Team, the league office announced on Wednesday.
This marks the 22nd year for the SEC Community Service Team for women’s basketball as well as for men’s basketball. All league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men’s and women’s sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994 to recognize the efforts of student-athletes who give their time to help people and organizations in their communities.
Harris, a native of Hampton, Georgia, and a graduate of Dutchtown High School, participated in the Adopt-A-Family program, joining with team members to purchase and deliver gifts at Christmas. She also helped serve the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) Community Holiday Meal, providing food to the less fortunate during the holiday season, and she welcomed youngsters to the UT campus for Voloween, a Halloween celebration for kids in UT’s Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex that is organized by SAAC.
Additionally, Harris supported the Race for the Summitt 5K, which was held to raise awareness and support for the Pat Summitt Foundation, an organization named for the late, legendary Lady Vol coach that is at the forefront for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. Other activities have included volunteering time at the Boys and Girls Club, participating in the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee’s Hoops For Hope, decorating Christmas cookies with kids at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, volunteering at the Fantasy of Trees East Tennessee Children’s Hospital fundraiser, assisting in the Cole’s Launch paper airplane contest for patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and celebrating and dancing with teens suffering from chronic illnesses at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s “One Unforgettable Night.”
Harris’ leadership and service qualities earned her a spot as the women’s basketball representative for the 2019-20 UT Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as a member of SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council as well.
The 6-foot-3 graduate student, who is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, has played in a career-high 25 games this season and has averaged 11.3 minutes per contest in a reserve role. After moving from center to forward this year, Harris has stepped up for her team and provided memorable efforts vs. Notre Dame (6 pts./4 rebs.) and Texas (6 pts./3 rebs.) among others and posted a career-best scoring night with eight points vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
After earning her undergraduate degree in recreation and sport management in May 2019, Harris is working toward finishing a master’s degree in communication and information with emphasis in journalism and electronic media.
Harris and teammate Lou Brown will be honored during Senior Night festivities on Thursday prior to Tennessee’s game with Ole Miss. The Senior Night recognitions begin at 6:40 p.m. ET and tip is slated for 7:02 p.m. The regular season home finale will be streamed on SECN+ and carried on the Lady Vol Radio Network.
Dustin Lynch stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on Feb. 25 to perform a set on the show’s outdoor stage. In addition to performing “Small Town Boy,” “Where It’s At” and “Ridin’ Roads,” Dustin treated fans to his new single, “Momma’s House.”
The fiery tune, which was penned by Dylan Schneider, Michael Lotten, Rodney Clawson and Justin Wilson, is currently No. 58 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after two weeks. “Momma’s House” is the third single from Dustin’s fourth studio album, Tullahoma (Jan. 17). The new project takes its name from Dustin’s Tennessee hometown, which is about 80 miles southeast of Nashville.
“Every song on Tullahoma, there’s a reason it’s there,” says Dustin. “A lot of that points back to the people who raised me, and growing up with a lifestyle where I could go outside and have fun, explore and try new things in the great outdoors. It’s kind of about being that kid and learning all those things. That’s my story, but I think we all can relate to the kid who’s discovering, the kid who’s figuring out love for the first time, all that good stuff.”
The T.J. Martell Foundation hosted its 12th annual Nashville Honors Gala on Feb. 24, raising more than $1 million for cancer research.
Honorees at this year’s gala, which was hosted by Charles Esten, were treated to performances by Vince Gill, Carly Pearce, Michael Ray, Wade Hayes, CeCe Winans and Rascal Flatts.
In addition, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Chris Young and more took part in the celebration. The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s leading foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding treatments and cures for cancer. Since 1975, the Foundation has provided more than $280 million for research at flagship hospitals in the United States.
This year’s honorees include:
Clint Higham: Chairman’s Award
Dr. Jordan Berlin: Medical Research Advancement Award
Patrick G. Emery: Spirit of Nashville Award
Amy Grant: Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award
Jim and Laurie Seabury: Lifetime Humanitarian Award
Country Music Hall of Fame member Garth Brooks will soon add another award to his crowded trophy case: the Billboard Icon Award.
Garth will be presented with the award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, which will broadcast live from Las Vegas on April 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Garth will also perform during the broadcast.
Garth’s Billboard accomplishments include nine No. 1 albums on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, 17 No. 1 albums on the Top Country Albums chart, 19 No. 1 singles and more. Garth is the first and only artist in history to achieve eight diamond-certified albums with sales of more than 10 million units each. Garth is also the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with more than 156 million album sales.
Garth will join an esteemed group of eight additional artists who have been presented the Billboard Icon Award: Cher, Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey.
The Academy of Country Music will announce this year’s host and full list of nominees for the 55th ACM Awards on Feb. 27.
The host will be announced via the Academy of Country Music’s social media accounts at 8 a.m ET, followed by a press conference to announce nominees at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Lauren Alaina, Ashley McBryde, Bobby Bones, Entertainment Tonight’s Cassie DiLaura and Kevin Frazier and CBS This Morning’s Gayle King will announce select ACM Awards nominations categories via videos posted in real time.
The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8–11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Another high-powered offensive performance and stellar pitching across the board led Tennessee to its eighth consecutive win, as the Vols defeated Northern Kentucky Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, 15-1.
In his first career start, freshman Christian Delashmit got the win for the Vols (8-0). Delashmit went 4.2 innings and struck out seven batters while giving up just three hits.
Will Mabrey, Ethan Anderson and Kirby Connell each made appearances on the mound for UT over the final 4.1 innings to close out the game. Anderson and Connell’s outings marked their first career pitcing appearances as Vols.
Offensively, it was a balanced outing for the Big Orange, as seven different players had a hit and 11 different players scored a run.
After scoring one run apiece in the first and second innings, the latter coming off of Gray’s solo homer, Tennessee produced a combined 10 runs in the third and fourth innings – six in the third and four in the fourth.
In the third inning after Tennessee loaded the bases, Northern Kentucky (0-8) walked home five runs. Luc Lipcius drove home the Vols’ other run of the inning by way of an RBI fielder’s choice. In the fourth inning, Tennessee was powered by an Evan Russell two-run double to left center and an RBI single by Derkay to center field.
The Vols also put up three runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Derkay’s two-run shot to right field.
Tennessee is back in action at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Wednesday against UNC Asheville (2-5) at 4:30 p.m. The game will be stream on SEC Network+.
Notable Hitting the Long Ball
After home runs from Landon Gray and Pete Derkay on Tuesday, Tennessee has now hit multiple home runs in six of its eight games this season. The Vols have now hit 13 home runs overall for the season. UT had just 11 games during all of last season in which it hit multiple home runs.
First Career Pitching Appearances Christian Delashmit, Ethan Anderson and Kirby Connell all made their first appearances on the mound during Tuesday’s win. Delashmit, who started and got the win, pitching 4.2 innings and struck out seven batters. Anderson and Connell put in two innings of work apiece, both striking out two batters.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper and seniors Lou Brown and Kamera Harris met with members of the media Tuesday afternoon ahead of UT’s Thursday matchup with Ole Miss that will mark the final home contest of the season and Senior Night.
Harper talked about the impact the seniors have had on the team, and the players discussed their time on Rocky Top and the experiences they’ve had.
Thursday’s contest against Ole Miss is set for 7 p.m. with Senior Night presentations taking place on the court at beginning 6:40 p.m. The game will be available for streaming online (SECN+) and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations.
On how seniors Kamera Harris and Lou Brown have helped her in her first season:
“Any time you have transition, I think it’s tough on student athletes. The newness, the change… it’s hard, and (it’s hard) for coaches as we inherit a group. I was talking about it the other day that Kam and Lou have been just terrific for us. They have done what we asked them to do; they have been low maintenance. They are good people. They have just welcomed us, and I am very grateful for them.”
On memories of her Senior Night:
“Back then it was a little bit different. The way the tournament was structured and setup, we knew we would have another one or two games at home. But Senior Night is always special or the last time you take the court. I know I actually kissed half court my last game in Thompson-Boling. You give so much to the program, and you love it so much, and it’s a celebration for you, but it’s also a stark reminder that it’s coming to an end. I loved my time at Tennessee as a player, and I hope these two ladies can walk out of their Senior Night with a win and with great memories of not just the game but of a great career.”
On her message to her seniors getting ready for life after college:
“We aren’t just coaching basketball, turning them loose and hoping they succeed. We try on a daily basis to help these young people be prepared for life, and so many people here at Tennessee provide resources for our student athletes when they leave here. So, when they leave, I want them to be productive. I want them to be happy, and I want them to look back fondly at their time here at the University of Tennessee.”
On the respect shown to her from Harris and Brown and hearing them talk of the impact she has had on them:
“It’s special. Sometimes you forget – you’re working on a scouting report, a play in practice, meeting with players to try to help them get better. And you know the big picture is that you have an opportunity to affect young people, and you hope they are affected in a positive way. When you have those moments where you know you had a breakthrough or that there’s been a special connection, it’s extremely rewarding as a coach.”
On Kamera Harris’ increase in minutes this season and what she has shown:
“In practice, Kam does what we ask her to do. Defensively, I think she plays like a senior, and just having that maturity and that extra year or two under her belt definitely matters, I think. We have asked her to do some things – how she needed to defend, how she needed to box out. And she did those, so we wanted to make sure we rewarded her. And then she was knocking down shots. So again, when you do what we ask you to do, we want to try to reward you with playing time.”
On what senior night means to her after being here two years:
“It’s pretty special. It’s pretty surreal, to be honest. I kind of can’t believe how fast it’s gone. Looking back, even this time last year, looking to this day now, I didn’t really see it in my future quite as clear, but it’s special. It’s pretty amazing. I’ve had such a great experience. I’ve had so much fun playing this year. I’m excited for what’s next.”
Credit: UT Athletics
On what it has meant to be a leader and Kellie Harper referring to her as the ‘glue’ of the team this season:
“That’s pretty high praise coming from Kellie Harper, so I’m very thankful for that. I’ve always tried to take pride in my positivity and just not letting much shake me, whatever it is, on or off the court. I try to relay that to my team as well, just letting them know that we perform our best when we’re positive, when we’re behind each other, when we don’t let things that we can’t control affect us. I’ve really tried to lead by example in that aspect and just show them that. I think they’ve responded really well to it, myself as well. That’s something I hope can continue with this team in the future.”
On what the fan base has meant to her in the past couple of years:
“I’ve never played in a place that’s had this type of support, this type of energy and electricity in a stadium during a game. It’s been absolutely surreal. I’m just so thankful and grateful to have had this experience here and to be able to play in TBA and play on The Summitt in front of so many incredible supporters and fans. It’s something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, because I may not get the opportunity to play in front of such big crowds again. I may or may not. To have this experience here has been once in a lifetime.”
On her mom’s reaction (who was in attendance for Sunday’s win over Vanderbilt) upon seeing the crowd in Thompson-Boling Arena:
“She said when she walked in she actually got a bit emotional. She couldn’t believe it. They’ve been watching it online as much as they can, but to actually come in here and experience it firsthand was something else for them. We don’t get anything like this in Australia, at all. Just to see how far I’ve come as well, was a huge moment for her. It was pretty cool.”
On how the program has developed during her four years:
“I think our group has been through a lot. I think every team goes through things, but I kind of feel like I’ve been through it all. It makes me proud, and it makes me grateful. I’ve learned so much about myself throughout my time here. Honestly, I’m just happy I’ve been through it here. I wouldn’t have picked anywhere else.”
On what it has been like to help guide some of the team’s younger players:
“We have a young team, but their future is bright. They work hard. They’re smart. I think, of course we have some things to clean up on, but I think next year this team is going to be a tough team to beat. I know what they do behind closed doors, so I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
On what Coach Kellie Harper has meant to her this season:
“She’s meant a lot. She helped build my confidence a lot, and she put a lot of trust in me. She put me in some situations, and I haven’t been challenged like that before, so I appreciated Kellie, and she means a lot to me.”
On what she will miss the most about playing in Thompson-Boling Arena:
“I might actually cry… but just the fans. When we travel to all these games, you always see orange and no fan support shows up (better) at any other arena than they do here. I’m going to miss that and the fan support and just looking up in the stands and seeing how many people support you through everything.”
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team hits the road for a Wednesday night contest with SEC foe Arkansas. Tipoff inside Bud Walton Arena is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Saturday’s game can be seen on SEC Network, online through WatchESPN, which can be accessed at espn.com/watch and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Mike Morgan and Jon Sundvold will have the call.
Fans can also listen in on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bill Justus describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols fell in a tough SEC battle on the road at Auburn, 73-66. The Vols were led by senior Jordan Bowden, who poured in a career-high 28 points, knocking down a career-high nine shots from the field, while finishing a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line. Bowden is currently riding a streak of 20 consecutive makes from the charity stripe.
Junior SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Yves Pons was incredibly productive on the glass on Saturday, pulling in 10 rebounds, with five of them coming on the offensive end.
A victory on Wednesday would be UT’s fourth consecutive triumph over Arkansas and would give head coach Rick Barnes his 50th regular-season SEC victory on Rocky Top. A win would also be just the fifth win for the Vols in Fayetteville in a series that dates to 1936.
Up next, the Vols return home for a Saturday afternoon matchup with SEC rival Florida. Tipoff inside Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 2 p.m. ET on either ESPN or ESPN2.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Arkansas, 22-20, dating to 1936.
• The Razorbacks have a 10-4 edge when the series is played in Fayetteville. Tennessee’s only wins there came in 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2009.
• Tennessee defeated Arkansas, 82-61, in Knoxville on Feb. 11.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a four-game win streak in the series.
• Complete the season home-and-home sweep of the Razorbacks.
• Be Tennessee’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.
STORYLINES
• In Tennessee’s home win over Arkansas on Feb. 11, true freshman Santiago Vescovi posted season-high with 20 points and eight assists.
• In UT’s last three games, Jordan Bowden is averaging a team-best 16.7 points while shooting .417 from 3-point range and posting a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio.
• However, Tennessee also is averaging 19.7 turnovers over its last three games and own a -7.3 turnover margin during that span.
• With 178 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks ninth on Tennessee’s all-time list. VFLs Jordan McRae and Vincent Yarbrough are tied for eighth with 179 3-pointers.
• In SEC road games, Jordan Bowden and John Fulkerson lead the Vols in scoring with 15.9 ppg and 12.6 ppg, respectively.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 39.9 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,795 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (6.1 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (65.5 ppg).
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 20th nationally with 2.5 bpg. His 2.6 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi has made at least one 3-pointer in every game in which he’s appeared (15).
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Wednesday will be the 129th game in which he’s appeared.
• Tennessee ranks second among Division I teams in assist percentage, having assisted on 64.7 percent of its field goals this season.
ABOUT ARKANSAS
• After falling in five consecutive SEC contests, Arkansas bounced back on Saturday, taking down Missouri, 78-68, inside Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks were led by sophomore guard Isaiah Joe, who poured in a game-high 21 points while knocking down five 3-point field goals in his first game back from injury.
• First-year head coach Eric Musselman has led the Razorbacks to a 17-10 overall record thus far in 2019-20. His win total in year one leaves Arkansas just one win away from equaling its win total of 18 from a year ago.
• Joining Joe in the backcourt is junior guard Mason Jones. Jones is currently the SEC’s second-leading scorer, averaging 20.5 points per contest. His average trails only Ole Miss’s Breein Tyree. In conference play, Jones has stuffed the stat sheet even further, upping his average to 21.1 points per game. Jones has also shown great efficiency on the defensive end of the floor, leading the Razorbacks and ranking eighth in the SEC with 1.6 steals per game.
• The Razorbacks have also seen solid production from graduate transfer guard Jimmy Whitt Jr. Whitt Jr. is Arkansas’ third-leading scorer, with 14.4 points per game and its second-leading rebounder, pulling in 4.7 boards per contest. He has also been huge on the defensive end for the Razorbacks, ranking second in both blocks (0.4 bpg) and steals (1.4 spg).
• One of the university’s oldest traditions includes the Arkansas Senior Walk. The Senior Walk is a stretch of more than four miles of campus sidewalk that is etched with the names of every Arkansas graduate since 1871.
LAST TIME VS. ARKANSAS
• Tennessee freshman Santiago Vescovi logged season-highs with 20 points and eight assists as the Vols limited Arkansas to its fewest points in SEC play this season and posted a convincing 82-61 victory on Feb. 11, 2020, in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The bounce-back win for Tennessee saw five Vols score in double digits, with Jordan Bowden tallying 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
• Jimmy Whitt Jr. led the Razorbacks with 19 points on the night.
• Entering the clash, Arkansas averaged a conference-low 10 turnovers per game in SEC play. The Vols logged 14 takeaways in the victory.
• Prior to the game, Arkansas’ seven losses on the season were by a combined 32 points. The 21-point drubbing marked the Razorbacks’ first double-digit loss of the year. They were one of nine teams in the nation to have not suffered a 10+ point loss coming into Tuesday night.
• The Big Orange lit up the nation’s top 3-point defense, connecting on 37.5 percent of their 3-point attempts. It served as the best shooting percentage from the perimeter against the Hogs this season. The Razorbacks entered the game limiting opponents to just 24.6 percent from 3-point range.
• During an early 8-0 run by the Vols, highlighted by a nifty finger roll by Vescovi, the Razorbacks went nearly six first-half minutes without a point, turning the ball over six times in that span.
• Tennessee’s suffocating defense surrendered a mere 23 first-half points to the Razorbacks, Arkansas’ fewest points in a first half this season.
• Tennessee redshirt junior Jalen Johnson recorded his first career start in the win, his 63rd appearance in a Vol uniform. His steal and dunk early in the second half set the tone for the remainder of the contest.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST ARKANSAS
• Bristol, Tennessee, native Bobby Hogsett scored eight points and added 10 rebounds as Tennessee won its first-ever game against Arkansas, 77-57, on Dec. 27, 1963, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
• In front of 21,237 orange-clad fans, UT knocked off Nolan Richardson’s fifth-ranked Razorbacks, 83-81, in Knoxville on Feb. 5, 1992. Lang Wiseman and Allan Houston both scored 26 points.
• The Vols upset No. 13 Arkansas in Fayetteville, 101-91, on Feb. 16, 1993, thanks to a double-double by LaMarcus Golden (22 points, 11 rebounds).
• Cleveland, Tennessee, native JaJuan Smith dropped 32 points on the Hogs during a 93-71 win over Arkansas in Knoxville on Feb. 5, 2008.
• Jordan McRae powered Tennessee to an 81-74 win over Arkansas on Jan. 22, 2014, exploding for 34 points—including UT’s final 13—at Thompson-Boling Arena.
MUSSELMAN’S SEASON AT LSU SAW TIGERS SPLIT WITH THE VOLS
• Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman was an assistant coach on Johnny Jones’ staff at LSU during the 2014-15 season.
• The Vols and Tigers met twice that year. LSU defeated UT, 73-55, in Knoxville. Less than three weeks later, Tennessee went to Baton Rouge and managed a 78-63 road win.
• Top performers on that LSU squad were forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey.
• Donnie Tyndall was Tennessee’s head coach in 2014-15, and Rick Barnes was hired shortly after the conclusion of the season.
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line have released collaborations with some of music’s biggest stars, including Luke Bryan (“This Is How We Roll”), The Backstreet Boys (“God, Your Mama and Me”) Bebe Rexha (“Meant to Be”), Justin Bieber (“Yummy Country Remix”) and more.
On Feb. 25, the duo made a public plea via an Instagram video for a collaboration with Carrie Underwood: “@carrieunderwood whether you know it or not, we are huge fans of you and we have always wanted to do a song with you we’ve just been waiting on the right one……We think this is it🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.”
In the video, Tyler and Brian reveal they co-wrote a new song with Julia Michaels as it begins to play in the background.
“We think it would be a massive collaboration,” says Tyler. “We’d love to send it to you, but we don’t have your email or your phone number, so we’re just gonna play a little [of the song].”
In January, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay scored their seventh No. 1 single as “10,000 Hours,” which features Justin Bieber, ascended to the top spot on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart. The tune has also spend 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Co-penned by Dan, Shay, Justin, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jordan Reynolds and Jason Boyd, “10,000 Hours” features Shay and Justin trading vocals alongside Dan’s production. The tune is the first new music from Dan + Shay since the release of their 2018 self-titled album, which spawned three No. 1 singles: “All to Myself,” “Tequila” and “Speechless.”
As Dan told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, their collaboration with pop star Justin Bieber has helped the duo’s music reach new places they “never dreamed of.”
“This has been really cool,” says Dan. “I mean, obviously, ‘Tequila’ and ‘Speechless’ changed our world in such a big way, but this song has reached new places that we had never dreamed of having music out [in], so to have people listening to country music all around the world is unbelievable. And, Justin, I know, is excited to be a part of it. He loves country music [and] has always been a fan, so having him on our song is pretty surreal. I have to pinch myself. I’m like, ‘We’ve got like the biggest superstar in the world on our song!’ It’s insane.”
